Erwin Sylvanus

Erwin Sylvanus (born in 1917 in Soest, died in 1985 in Soest) was a journalist and writer. Originally, he was an admirer of the National Socialist regime but underwent a change in his life philosophy in the 1950s. He distanced himself from his former political beliefs during the Third Reich and enthusiastically dedicated himself to humanism. He then wrote mostly dramatic works which dealt with violence, political arbitrariness, guilt and individual responsibility. As well as theatre plays, he also wrote radio dramas and journalistic articles. Erwin Sylvanus was a member of the PEN Society, Germany and from 1955 onwards, a member of the writer’s group “Die Kogge”. In 1961, he co-founded the “Gruppe 61”. In 1959, he was given the Leo Baeck Award, in 1960, the Jochen Klepper Decoration and in 1961, the Joseph Winckler Fund Award.